Paul Gardner of the New York Sun praises the Beckham Rule, which allows Major League Soccer clubs to sign one player each for as much money as they can afford irrespective of the league-wide $1.9 million salary cap. "The move is to be praised," Gardner says, as "better, more imaginative, ... Read the whole story

Clint Dempsey, the 2006 Honda U.S. Player of the Year, says he's preparing for a move to the English Premier League in January, possibly to Fulham or Charlton Athletic, according to reports, though nothing official has taken place. "Things are looking good," Dempsey says. "There's definitely interest from a few ... Read the whole story

Domestically they're cruising, but Inter Milan's Nerazzurri are fighting for their lives in the UEFA Champions League. Today's match against Sporting Lisbon at the San Siro is a game that could make or break the European season for Inter. It's been a different story for the club in the league, ... Read the whole story

Apparently, paying teams off to play harder against your competitors is standard business in Russia. Earlier this week, CSKA Moscow president Yevgeny Giner openly admitted to paying incentives to other teams to play harder against his team's main rivals. "I don't see anything bad in it," Giner told reporters. "Many ... Read the whole story

Scottish champ Celtic clinched passage into the second round of the UEFA Champions League by scoring a 1-0 victory over Manchester United yesterday at Parkhead. Shunsuke Nakamura once again beat Edwin van der Sar from a free kick, this time from some 25 yards away from goal; his perfect curling ... Read the whole story